Former Sky Sports presenter banned after soccer betting firm lost $13.5M

Former British sports presenter Alan Bentley has been banned from being a company director for 11 years. This comes after his soccer betting business collapsed, leaving investors more than £10 million ($13.5 million) out of pocket. It was also said that the company kept taking in another £1.5 million ($2 million) from investors, even though there was no sign the business was actually trading.

Bentley Global (UK) Limited claimed it could offer investors up to 20% returns using a soccer betting AI algorithm called Algol88. But behind the scenes, things looked very different. There was no recorded turnover during late 2019 and early 2020, and instead of profits, the company was racking up massive losses.

And the profits continue to build… pic.twitter.com/hWJGV1L4qR

— Alan Bentley (@sportsalgos2023) August 12, 2023

By August 2018, the business had lost more than £4 million ($5.4 million), and by the same time the following year, the losses had climbed past £5 million ($6.8 million). As a result, the 63-year-old from Kelvedon Hatch in Essex, has been banned from being a company director for 11 years.

His brother, Brian Bentley, who was also involved in the company, faced similar consequences. Brian, 62, from Anchorage Lane in Doncaster, was disqualified in 2024 for misconduct during his time at the firm. He received a six-year ban, which will run until April 2030.

Kevin Read, the UK’s Insolvency Service chief inspector, said: “Bentley knew the company had made huge losses and was unable to pay its debts. His company had no reasonable prospect of being able to repay the investments and interest payments under the bond scheme because of its dire financial position.

“Directors have a responsibility to be honest and transparent with investors, especially when handling their money. This case sends a clear message that those who abuse their position and mislead investors will not be able to continue to act as company directors.”

The former Sky Sports pundit hasn’t disputed the fact that there’s no evidence his company was actually carrying out the soccer betting activity it claimed to be involved in during that time. In fact, Bentley Global (UK) Limited had no known source of trading income at all during that period.

Featured image: Alan Bentley via LinkedIn

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